Ange Postecoglou will have to ensure that a very different Tottenham Hotspur side takes on Arsenal in this month's North London Derby.
Spurs were woeful at Newcastle on Saturday after a reasonably bright start to the game at St. James' Park descended into a performance not too dissimilar from the one at Fulham last month, with a lack of creativity up front and a shaky defence. Arsenal come to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 28 — or April 27 if the Gunners progress in the Champions League and are handed a Tuesday night European match the following week — and Mikel Arteta's men will be desperate to pull off a much-needed win to boost their title credentials.
Tottenham have a long 15-day wait for the match as their game against Manchester City, which was due to be played this weekend, has been pushed to the final week of the season due to Pep Guardiola's men's involvement in the FA Cup semi-finals. Aston Villa currently play two home matches before Spurs play again and could potentially open up a nine-point gap in fourth place.
Here are five things that Postecoglou must fix within his Tottenham squad ahead of the north London derby:
At times against Newcastle, Spurs looked listless. They started brightly as they often do but soon allowed their hosts to win all of the key battles and duels around the pitch. If there was a second ball to be had, most of the time the Newcastle players won it.
There is no excuse for Postecoglou's players to be showing any form of tiredness or a lack of desire. They have played fewer games of football this season than most of the other teams in the Premier League and have had a week between most matches, and even on a number of occasions two weeks due to postponements.
What Postecoglou kept
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